Zachary Tolman

Reasons for selecting this career path

I was working at a call center when Medicare D went live. The formularies made sense to me, and it felt good to reassure and help concerned patients. I’d always been interested in medical careers, but until then it had never felt like a calling. I enrolled in a pharmacy technician program soon thereafter and never looked back.

Professional Interests

I really enjoy helping those around me, especially the patients, pharmacists and clinicians I work with. I’ve always had somewhat of a knack for resolving insurance issues, and love advocating for my patients. This interest extends to health insurance reform, which I try to study in my free time. I’m also very passionate about pharmacy technician practice advancement. I enjoy visiting classes of technician students at local schools and encouraging them to be involved in the professional community. 

Interest in the PTF Executive Committee

I’m very fortunate to enjoy a high level of job satisfaction. I want to help build the profession so that any dedicated and deserving technician can find the same fulfillment in their own practice.  Current dialogs about education, licensing and practice advancement will shape our careers in the coming decades. ASHP empowers technicians to take an active role in shaping their future. I’m thrilled to be part of a committee dedicated to helping technicians achieve their full potential.

Benefits of being involved in ASHP as a Pharmacy Technician

The variety of continuing education materials makes membership financially reasonable for me, but it’s the community that really makes it meaningful. I enjoy reading the materials and questions posted to the forums. It expands my perspective and deepens my sense of connection to my peers and the pharmacy profession. 

Fun Fact

Before deciding to be a career technician, I took the PCAT and scored in the 95th percentile.

The second day of my pharmacy technician externship I was robbed at gunpoint for narcotics. As soon as I was licensed, that pharmacy hired me as “pharmacy muscle”. (Does that count as an expanded role?)